


A Guy Who's Got Everything

by untokki



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Canon Compliant, Christmas, Drabble, Fluff, Gift Giving, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-01-31 17:35:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21450079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/untokki/pseuds/untokki
Summary: Seto Kaiba could buy himself anything he could ever want. So, what's his boyfriend supposed to get him for Christmas?
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto
Comments: 6
Kudos: 65





	A Guy Who's Got Everything

Their first real date took place on a cold night in the middle of February, late enough in the month where neither of them felt weird about them perfectly missing Valentine's Day. It wasn't like the times before, where Seto would drag Joey to a fancy restaurant only to work on his phone through the whole meal, or when Joey would sit next to the brunet, alone in the high school's library, as he went over spreadsheets on his laptop. There was no phone in sight, no laptop buzzing with messages, and definitely no little brother coming to tell the CEO there was someone waiting for a meeting.

It was just the blond and the brunet, sitting on a rickety old bench near the seashore, with the city lights glaring in the distance behind them. The ocean waves hummed a gentle rhythm as the water crashed against the sand, and the stars reflected off the dark liquid in an array of twinkles. When Joey looked up at the typically stoic face next to him, he found a similar glow in those blue eyes, and a softness fluttering over Seto's sharp features that he had never seen before. He leaned closer and kissed his lips, slow enough for both of them to savor the first of many kisses in their relationship.

Five years later, Joey still looked back on that first date with a smile on his face, no matter how many times he reminisced about it. The salty night air still felt like it clung to his skin, and he swore there was still sand in his sneakers from that night. He had just turned eighteen then, and Seto would have been turning twenty the following October. They were just kids, even if Seto swore against ever being called that.

Now, he was twenty-three and Seto was twenty-five, and Joey felt his memories of that first date was truly just him longing for his time as a lovesick teenager, where everything in life was simple.

Buying a Christmas present for his boyfriend used to be a lot simpler.

Joey stared through the window of the boutique, headless mannequins staring back at him, adorned in black and grey suits. He never dared to buy clothing for Seto, knowing the elder man was very particular about his fashion, and while Joey didn't know how to pronounce half of the brands he bought, he knew none of them would be in that tiny shop on Main Street. Plus, he had bought him cufflinks the year before. Sure, Seto wore them, but Joey was certain that was just to humor him. They were gold, and Joey now knew Seto didn't wear gold accessories. 

The next store that caught Joey's eye was a game shop, boasting about the newest Duel Monsters cards and Dice Monsters dice, among other games. Seto had all the Duel Monsters cards he could ever want. He never added to his main deck. And, as Joey remembered with a sigh, the first Christmas they spent together as a couple, Joey had bought the "Devoted Love" card for his boyfriend. Not only did Seto already have the card, but he muttered about its uselessness days after the holiday. If Joey knew anything, he knew to learn from his mistakes. He walked right past the store, shoving his hands deep into his coat pockets with a huff. How do you buy a gift for a man who has everything?

\---

"Are we still having a get-together at your place for Christmas? Or at least, near Christmas?" Joey asked, stealing a fry from Yugi's platter after he had some quickly demolished his own. He popped the salty fry in his mouth after smothering it in ketchup and watched as his friend took a sip from his soda.

"Of course we are. Téa confirmed she's going to be here for a week, so it'll be like old times again," Yugi smiled, a little twinkle in his amethyst eyes at the mention of their friend. Joey knew there had always been _ something _ there between Yugi and Téa, but he wasn't one to pry. He never commented on the heart emoticons next to the girl’s name in Yugi’s contacts, either; especially since he had the same emoticons next to Seto’s name in his own.

"How's she doing, by the way?" Joey questioned, spinning his straw around through the ice of his now empty glass. "Wasn't she in some competition recently?"

"Yeah," Yugi hummed. "Her team got first place. She got a trophy for it!" 

Joey smiled at his friend's excitement, before a rather loud voice came closer to their table in the fast food restaurant. The blond's smile widened further when he realized who it was, and Tristan and Duke slipped into the booth he and Yugi occupied. "Can't believe you still eat at a place like this," Tristan said, slinging an arm behind Joey and resting it on the back of the booth. "Don't you have to keep up the image, too, or something?"

"What are ya on about?" Joey raised an eyebrow, eyeing his friend. Duke laughed from across the table.

"Boyfriend to the CEO of the biggest company in the country. Ring any bells?" the other added, making Joey roll his eyes with an over-exaggerated sigh.

"It's not like _ I'm _the hotshot. I can fill myself with crap food as much as I want, thank you very much," Joey announced, pushing up his chest in a display of faux pride. He earned a few chuckles from his friends before going back to stealing Yugi's French fries. “But speaking of him,” Joey started, glancing between his three friends to gauge their responses before continuing, “I don’t know what to get him for Christmas.”

“A candle, or something?” Tristan said, “I dunno. He seems like an _ Autumn Pine _ type of guy.”

“A candle is what you get your aunt who you haven’t seen in ten years,” Joey snided, squinting his eyes at his friend. “Plus, our house is filled with candles. And they’re _ my _ candles.”

“Also, I think Seto’s a _ Fresh Rainfall _ type, anyway, Tristan,” Duke added.

“The guy’s got everything. I bet you could get away with not getting him a present,” Tristan murmured, shrugging his shoulders.

“And, actually, he’s an _ Island Guava _ fan.”

“That’s honestly a surprise. Who knew a guy with an ice cube for a heart liked tropical scents?” Duke joked, earning a playful glare from the blond on the other side of the table.

“Joey, I’m sure if it’s a gift from you, that’s what really matters,” Yugi stated, ignoring the rather useless bickering from their other two friends. He gave a smile to the blond across from him. “You know what I mean?”

Yugi had a certain effect on people that no one could really place. His big doe eyes and always sincere smile could work their way into anyone’s heart, even to the point where Seto had commented on it before. At that moment, Joey was experiencing that exact phenomenon, and he couldn’t help but grin back at the man.

\---

A short text to Joey’s phone asked if the blond was able to pick up Mokuba from school, as Seto was busy and he refused to send out any of his employees or personal assistants to do it. Joey was the one who made sure Seto never sent out the help to get his brother, as Joey knew what that felt like. He had seen Seto be picked up in a limo from school more times than he could count, and towards the end of their three years in school, even he had the pleasure. Sure, it was nice in the moment, but the glances and whispered words he would happen upon the next day in class were unnerving. Joey insisted he didn’t want Mokua to experience that, even if all his classmates and peers knew exactly who he was. Joey sent a reply of affirmation to his brother before making his way to his old alma mater. 

Seeing the school building behind large gates was a blast from the past for Joey. Students were still leaving the building, many walking in groups or pairs with just a few walking alone. Good memories overruled the bad ones as he watched the students walk by. By the end of his time there, he had realized the bad memories weren’t a big deal. He couldn’t dwell on the past, as he had been told many times. Instead of thinking of all the fights he had gotten into just beyond the black fence, he thought of all the times he walked home with his friends. He thought of the last day of his second year, when Seto stopped him in his tracks and asked if he wanted to get lunch (he hadn’t really _ asked _, it was more so Seto telling him to get something to eat with him). He smiled wider as he thought of that. Even if Seto tried to keep his cool and stoic demeanor, even back then, Joey could see the light flush to his pale cheeks.

“Joey? What are you doing here?”

Joey was taken out of his trip down memory lane when that voice spoke, and he looked over to see Mokuba walking down the main path to the school. He had gotten a haircut recently, per Seto’s request, but he still didn’t take much care in keeping it neat. He wore his uniform coat open, and held onto each of his backpack straps as he walked towards the blond. “Seto sent me to come get you,” Joey answered, looking at the kid. He had hit his growth spurt recently, rising just to just about the same height as Joey. Much like his brother, though, he had pretty long legs.

“I guess he’s busy, huh?” Mokuba asked, but it seemed to be more to himself.

Joey had picked him up for the past three days because of Seto’s hectic schedule. Neither of them were able to spend much time with Seto in the past week, as the company was frenzied over the Christmas season. Joey sighed when he realized that was why Mokuba seemed so disappointed. As they began walking towards Joey’s car, the blond ruffled the younger’s hair. “I’m forcing him to take us out to dinner tonight, alright?”

“But he’s _ busy _.”

“Are ya kidding? If we both use our secret ‘Puppy Dog Eyes’ tactic, he’ll have to say yes.”

Mokuba put his backpack in the backseat and snickered as he slid into the passenger’s seat. “Yeah, foolproof plan.”  
  


The drive back home from the city was just over thirty minutes, and unlike in Seto’s car, Mokuba got to pick whatever music he wanted on the radio. Though, Joey had to turn down the volume a bit in order to ask the kid a question. “Are you getting your brother something for Christmas?”

“He told me not to get him anything. But, I have a friend from school who’s a crazy good artist, so I’m gonna ask her to draw me something for him. Do you think a Blue Eyes or a picture of me and him would be better?”

Joey laughed at that. “Something tells me the one of you and him would mean a bit more.”

Mokuba shrugged. “You never know. What are you getting for him?”

“I don’t know yet. Ya got any ideas?”

“Hm,” Joey could see Mokuba holding his chin in thought from the corner of his eye, much like his brother. “He’s kinda hard to buy for, huh?”

“Tell me about it.”

“He really needs a vacation, or something. To get his mind off work? He’s been too fixated lately.”

Joey swore his eyes were shining at that, and he was thankful that the mansion was in his sight. “I think I know what to get him.”

  
  


\---

In recent years, Seto had began to come out of his shell, and Joey felt that was thanks to the therapist he begged Seto to begin seeing. (He then forced Joey to make some appointments as well, and when Joey refused and said he couldn’t afford it, Seto with ready with his own debit card and cell phone.) He began showing more interest in things, and actually acknowledged that certain things made him happy. He found a liking to certain music and bands, and knew what television shows he preferred to watch. Most importantly, he began coming up with ideas for dates rather than always asking Joey where he wanted to go. Because of that, Joey learned the other man had a soft spot for the natural wonders in the world and the historical cities of their country. They had been to countless beaches along the coast, to Mt. Fuji and Takachiho Gorge. But, the one place Joey knew Seto loved more than anything was that one beach. The bench had fallen apart since their first date, but neither of them minded. The sand was still the perfect texture and the water still glowed beneath the moon. Even when he was there alone, Joey felt as if he could reach over and have Seto’s hand in his own at any moment. He gripped the little jar and box in each of his hands a little tighter before heading down to the shoreline.

\---

Even though the morning sun made its way between the sheer curtains, Joey refused to move from the warmth of the comforters and blankets of the bed. His main source of heat had already gotten out of bed and was getting dressed, but Joey just took that as an invitation to pull the sheets closer. The only thing that pulled him away from the fleeting land of slumber was Seto placing a chaste kiss to his forehead. He slowly sat up and stretched his arms over his head, seeing Seto moving towards the closed bedroom door through his sleep-covered eyes. “You kiss and then just leave me?” Joey murmured, a yawn immediately following his words as his arms dropped back down to the mattress with a little bounce. Seto turned around at that, his hand still on the doorknob, and his hip slightly jutted out. He gave the man a look. “You do know it’s past ten, right?” Seto said.

“My parents always forced me to sleep in on Christmas because I was too excited. Old habits die hard,” Joey smiled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. He earned a roll of the eyes and a little smile from his boyfriend before the brunet opened the door. 

“Your breakfast is already cold,” Seto announced before leaving and closing the door behind him.

That was more than enough to motivate Joey to get dressed.

The large house was never decorated for any holiday, but three stockings hung from the fireplace in the living room and an average sized Christmas tree covered in ornaments sat in the corner of the room. The snow outside was light, as it was a bit sunny outside, but it was cold enough that Joey almost immediately found himself in the crook of Seto’s side when he was done with his late breakfast. Seto put an arm around him before placing his laptop gently on the coffee table. “Did Mokuba already open his presents?” Joey asked, letting his head raise from Seto’s shoulder for just a moment to glance at the bottom of the tree. Considering there was nothing there, Joey guessed he already had.

“He wanted to make sure that I told you thank you,” Seto commented instead of confirming or denying. “Do you want to open your present?”

Joey sat up but still stayed close, nodding his head. Seto leaned over the side of the couch, opening the drawer of the side table. He pulled out a red envelope and handed it to his boyfriend. Joey slipped it open, finding two small slips of paper. Two tickets to a concert for his favorite band. “Geez, Seto, and it’s their farewell tour, too!” he exclaimed, staring at the text on the tickets in disbelief. He stuffed them back into the envelope and placed a kiss on the other’s lips, which was returned with a chuckle. “You’re welcome.”

“Oh,” Joey quickly stood up, making Seto’s arm fall to the couch. “Lemme go get yours.” The blond practically sprinted to get to their bedroom, and came back to the den in a flash. He presented the present to Seto with two hands; a crudely wrapped box with a blue bow on it. Still, he looked so proud that Seto had to laugh a little at his intense smile. The moment the elder took the box, Joey plopped down beside him on the couch. Slowly, Seto pulled the ribbon off, then pulled through the paper. “C’mon, you’re killing me!” Joey whined, all too excited to see how he would react. When Seto finally removed the lid to the box, Joey felt as if he would chew right through his lip.

Inside, wrapped in tissue paper, were two presents. One was a small glass jar filled with sand, and the other was a smooth piece of turquoise glass, no bigger than the length of Seto’s hand. He picked up the piece of glass and turned it around in his grip. 

“It’s from the beach,” Joey explained, speaking softly. “Where we had our first date.”

Seto gently placed the glass back in the box before lifting the jar and tilted it. The fine sand fell against the sides, revealing a small strip of paper with the date of their anniversary written on it. Seto looked at the man beside him and found a rather anxious expression. “So? What d’you think?” Joey asked.

Seto didn’t answer. He merely put the lid back on the box, placed it on the coffee table beside his laptop, and softly cupped Joey’s cheek. The kiss said everything that Seto had left unspoken. _ I love it _.

The next time Joey visited Seto’s office, the jar said on his desk, with the seaglass leaning against it. His desk never had anything personal on it until that moment.

**Author's Note:**

> ygo was the first fanfic i ever wrote, and puppyshipping was the first ship i ever liked... here i am, after not posting on this site for a year, and it's a diddly dang ygo fanfic! suddenly i'm 11 years old again and watching ygotas.
> 
> also, i hate premature christmas, but this idea popped in my head and i felt compelled to write it about my two dumb ass duelists. hope you enjoyed, i'm a bit rusty when it comes to fanfic haha!


End file.
